Your "All Around the House Guide" filled with household hints, bath and beauty formulas, tips for cleaning and so much more!
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About Me
Name:Christina From::Canada
I'm a freelance writer with a laid back approach to most everything! Happily married to my truest friend, who believes in me even when it doesn't make sense to. View my complete profile
Hate house cleaning? Yeah, we all do! Drop by my cleaning website today and
get your copy of:
The Happy Slob's Guide to
Housecleaning for the EASIEST solution to house cleaning ever! It's fun, practical
AND will help you spend WAY less time cleaning...so you can do all that other stuff you love.
Tuesday, November 28, 2006
4 Delicious New Candy Recipes - Makes Great Gifts
Here are some delicious, old-fashioned candy recipes to try...
Cocoa, Potato and Peanut Butter Candy - is a really surprising recipe that tastes great! No one will guess that there's a mashed potato in this candy...
Old-Fashioned Molasses Taffy Candy This is a sentimental favorite for me, as it's very similar to an old-fashioned candy recipe my great grandmother used to make. :)
And here's a simple recipe for caramel apples that is delicious and INCREDIBLY easy. You just use store-bought wrapped caramels, and coat the caramel apples in chopped nuts. (Or, try being EXTRA decadent and dipping into a mix of white and dark chocolate chips instead. Yummericious!) Easy Caramel Apples with Chopped Nuts
Sunday, November 26, 2006
Cranberry Salsa Recipe - Spicy & Different Cranberry Sauce Recipe
Cranberry Salsa ~Submitted by Dorina~ Now here is a cranberry sauce with some real kick - those jalapeno peppers will give this cranberry sauce a spicy jolt that hot sauce lovers will adore.
3 cups fresh or frozen cranberries, thawed 1/2 medium-size purple onion, chopped 2 jalapeño peppers, seeded and chopped 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro 1/2 cup honey 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice 1 tablespoon grated orange rind
Process all ingredients in a food processor, pulsing 6 to 8 times or until coarsely chopped, stopping to scrape down sides. Cover and chill 8 hours.
Easy Cheesy Saucy Potato Casserole Submitted by Jeannie
Ingredients 1- 24 oz. bag of Frozen Hash brown Potatoes 1 Can of Cheddar Cheese Soup 1 cup of Sour cream 1 12 oz bag of Shredded Cheddar Cheese 1 cup (to taste) of Salsa 1 cup of Plain Bread Crumbs 1/2 cup of Butter or Margarine, melted Salt and Pepper to taste
Directions
Mix all but the bread crumbs in a large bowl. Spray a glass 13x9 inch pan with vegetable spray. Spread the bowl ingredients into the coated pan and top with bread crumbs. Cook at 375 degrees F for 45-60 minutes! To make a full Dinner Casserole, simply add some chopped cooked Chicken or Ham.
“Good communication is as stimulating as black coffee, and just as hard to sleep after" by Anne Morrow Lindbergh
Isn't that a fantastic quote? Does it have you craving a good cup of coffee? You know where to go: The Coffee Creations Blog where today we have listed two new coffee craft projects, plus a delicious coffee soda punched up with the addition of some light rum. Yummmm....
Posted by HappySlob ::
10:55 AM ::
0 comments
Tips for a Fresh Smelling Dishwasher (for a reader)
In our latest newsletter, a reader asked what could be done about a stinky smelling dishwasher. Cindy M. wrote in with this tip:
"Add a little bleach when starting your load. I actually just dump approx. 2 tbls on the door before closing. My dishwasher is always clean and fresh."
Note from Christina: Another reader recently wrote in and reminded us all to be careful of mixing BLEACH with other cleaners. So, please be careful when you try this tip. :) I suggest you might instead try a mixture of vinegar and baking soda added just before you start the dishwasher. I use these two often, and never have the problem of a stinky smelly dishwasher. Let us know what works for you! You can email me at christina@happyslob.com anytime.
Posted by HappySlob ::
10:50 AM ::
2 comments
Monday, November 20, 2006
Gifts from the Kitchen - Fresh Dill Vinegar Recipe
Fresh Dill Vinegar: Submitted by Christi
2 cups sugar 3 T. salt 2 onions, quartered 2 whole banana peppers, cut up 3 cloves garlic 4 to 5 heads and sprigs fresh dill White vinegar
IN a quart jar mix the sugar, salt, onions, peppers, garlic and fresh dill. Fill with vinegar and refrigerate for at least 1 week before using. Keep refrigerated and use as desired. To replenish, add more sugar, salt and vinegar as vinegar is used. To make into a salad dressing, combine 1 part dill vinegar with 3 parts salad oil. Use this dressing over fresh fruit or salad greens. Source: Howard Bishop, Gainesville, Fl.
Posted by HappySlob ::
9:57 AM ::
0 comments
Ingredients: 1 16 oz. tub sour cream 4 T. Dijon mustard 2 T. honey Method: Combine sour cream, Dijon mustard, and honey. Mix well, chill and serve.
Posted by HappySlob ::
9:55 AM ::
0 comments
Household Hints - Dealing with Hard Water Problems
We moved into our house this spring, and encountered the same problems. We have well water here. The items from the dishwasher looked like they had been not been washed at all. I tried running baking soda and vinegar and "lime-away" through the dishwasher, but nothing worked. The shower and tub had a white film/looked terrible/could not clean. My hair was also looking terrible. Finally, we got a water softener. The water was tested and came up with 21 grains hardness (very hard). We chose to go with a well-known softener company, but you can get install-it-yourself units. Just to let you know, some appliance manufacturers will VOID your warrantee if you use your appliances with hard water. It can gum up the appliances up and ruin them. We had just bought a new washer, and I did not want to risk ruining it with the hard water.
Thanks to Karen for sending in this email, in response to a recent Reader's Question about hard water. For more household hints: Household Hints
Posted by HappySlob ::
9:52 AM ::
0 comments
Replace Sugar with Honey in Recipes - How to Use Honey in Baking
Helpful Hints Using Honey (Thanks to Jeannie V. for sending in these helpful honey hints!)
• Store honey at room temperature in a dry place and out of the direct sun. If it crystallizes, it can easily be reliquified by setting the jar in a pan of very hot water or briefly in the microwave. Temperatures over 140 degrees F will cause adverse flavor changes.
• Honey is higher in calories than sugar. One cup of sugar is 770 calories while a cup of honey is 1034 calories. However, 2/3 cup of honey is equal to 1 cup sugar in sweetening value.
• Because honey contains about 15-18% moisture, you should reduce the liquid portions of recipes by 1 tablespoon for each 1/3 cup of honey used in cooking.
• When substituting honey for sugar in a recipe, lower baking temperatures 25 degrees F.
• Because honey keeps products moist it is difficult to make a crisp cookie. Cookies made with honey keep fresher and keep moist for longer periods. They are excellent for mailing.
• Adding 2 tablespoons of honey to your favorite cake mix will make it light and less crumbly. Add it while stirring the batter.
• When measuring honey, use a cup or spoon in which shortening has already been measured to prevent the honey sticking to the spoon.
Posted by HappySlob ::
9:50 AM ::
0 comments
Fresh ginger is like a miniature medicine cabinet - it really is THAT healthy for you! Plus, it helps treat all sorts of ailments, such as arthritis, menstrual cramps and more. View the article I just wrote that feature the 5 Health Benefits of Fresh Ginger: Health Uses of Ginger
Posted by HappySlob ::
9:45 AM ::
0 comments
Wednesday, November 15, 2006
Re-Using Dehumidifer Water - Is it Safe?
Recently one of our newsletter readers asked about re-using dehumidifer water. Here are some helpful replies from our readers:
Answer from Christi: Here's a response for your dehumidifier question...Yes, you can use it for just about anything you would use distilled water for, however realize that it will probably contain household dust, etc. A lot of people use this water for watering plants as many plants seem to like it. I've also heard of some using it for photo developing. Just don't drink it :)
Answer from Helen: Someone asked about reusing water from the dehumidifier -- I use it in my steam iron and I also use it to water my plants -- especially when I'm mixing in fertilizer, etc.
Answer from another reader: YES! I reuse this water to "hydrate" my house plants. We have a water softening system which is BAD for plants, so the dehumidifier water is great. During the summer I water my plants outdoors with it. GOOD LUCK!
Posted by HappySlob ::
12:13 PM ::
0 comments
1 cup butter 1 cup (6 oz) semisweet chocolate chips 1 cup chopped pecans 4 eggs 1.5 cups sugar 1 cup all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
In a saucepan over low heat, melt the butter and chocolate chips, stirring until smooth. Cool. Add pecans; stir until well-coated.
In a large bowl, combine eggs, sugar, flour and vanilla. Fold in chocolate mixture. Fill paper-lined muffin cups two-thirds full. Bake at 325 degrees for 35-38 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.
eBay Selling Tips for Newbies - How to Sell on eBay
eBay is an amazing home based business - IF you take the time to research thoroughly and learn from the pros who really know what they're doing! :)
With that in mind, I've started a brand new blog and I'm looking for eBay Pros to interview. I'd like to feature success stories that will be of interest to newbies to eBay and pros alike. If you're an eBay seller, and you'd like me to interview you for inclusion on the new blog (which you can visit at http://ebaypros.blogspot.com) then please e-mail me at christina@happyslob.com or just post a comment here!
Thanks guys, Christina
Posted by HappySlob ::
12:07 PM ::
0 comments
Get your fresh issue of the popular Kitchen Crafts 'n' more Newsletter now - I just finished putting together a new issue: http://www.kitchencraftsnmore.net/newsnov1506.html. If you're not already a subscriber, be sure to sign up to get updates whenever a new issue is prepared. :) Enjoy!
Posted by HappySlob ::
12:04 PM ::
0 comments
